Whitewater kayaks employ either of two basic foot rest systems. A pair of individual foot pegs may be provided to separately support each foot or, the user will rest his feet against a bulkhead disposed in the bow.
Foot pegs are not entirely satisfactory because they provide a limited surface area for contact with the user's feet. In addition, they are unwieldy and not very rigid. As a result, sudden and extreme movements of the boat will cause the user's feet to slip off of the foot pegs. Loss of foot peg support when the boat is engaged in whitewater is dangerous. Without foot support, the user is caused to slide forward and into the bow of the kayak, thereby limiting control of the boat.
In addition, impact of the boat against rocks or the like often results in twisted or even broken ankles. The forces generated during impact are directly transmitted to the user's feet and legs.
At least one prior art foot peg system incorporates cushioning into the foot peg itself. U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,327 to Masters provides a cushion for each foot peg for absorbing shock. As is apparent, such foam cushioning provides limited damping ability. Further, individual foot pegs are prone to breakage and cannot securely support the feet of the user.
In view of the above, a need has existed in the art for providing efficient damping to the foot brace of a kayak.